Revised 1/2005

Potential Units/Assigning Carnegie Units

In general, students are awarded 5 units per semester for a high school level course. High school students must be attempting at least 25 credits per semester.

For example, if the student used Saxon Algebra 1, upon completion of the text, the student would earn 10 units of Algebra 1 (5 units for Algebra 1A and 5 units for Algebra 1B). Since IEM schools are performance based, the time required to complete this text would not matter. If the text were completed in one semester, the student would still earn 10 units of credit. On the other hand, if the student worked an entire year and only completed half of the book, the student would earn 5 units.

Carnegie units may derive from a variety of sources:

1) High school level curriculum including text and study guide

There are many vendors that publish high school curriculum. Some vendors include study guides that are easy to use for students using an independent study model. The ES should make sure that the ability level and learning style of the curriculum matches that of the student. If the ES is not familiar with a particular text, a phone call to the publisher may be necessary to clarify the grade level and ability level of the text. The ES and parent decide if the text fits the needs of the student.

2) High school level text without a study guide

The ES may find high school curriculum with a teacher's edition but without a study guide.  This situation requires planning with the parent and/or student about requirements for earning units and how the learning will be verified. The ES, parent, or student can reconsider the course content and requirements at any time during the year if there appears to be a need for adjustment in the workload.

3) A student-, parent-, ed specialist-developed course recorded on the learning records

IEM charter schools are performance based, not rule based, so assigning units should depend on what the student learns, not how long the student spends learning. Keeping track of hours can help structure assigning units if there is no structured course readily available. This situation may arise if a student or parent develops a course that allows the student to pursue his/her interests using a "discovery" learning method. Some examples include the following: writing a computer program to describe the results of a science project; exploring a unorthodox art medium in a unstructured situation; pursing an in-depth study of sharks. In each case the bounds of the course are very broad.

The "Class Completion Check-Off Sheet" is available for your use if the student wishes to earn units in an unstructured course. IEM Charter Schools assigns 5 units per semester of work and 10 units for a full year's work. The sheet has 150 spaces representing a full year's work or 10 units. IEM Charter Schools do not require that 150 hours must be completed in order for a student to earn 10 units. However, a range of 120 to 150 hours for 10 units should be a guide when the body of work is difficult to measure. The check-off sheet is kept with the student or parent. Each block represents one clock hour of work. As the student completes an hour of work, a block is checked off. For accuracy, the date of the work can be included in the block.

4) Concurrent credit from a college course

There is no set rule for assigning high school units for college classes. In order to decide about the value of a college class, the ES should consider IEM Charter Schools’ policy for assigning high school units in general. Since IEM Charter Schools are not rule-based, but performance based, the ES will review the content of the information being learned. A high school student can earn units by completing a specific body of work. No two students are the same in ability or needs, so the appropriate amount of work a student does to earn the units will vary from student to student. The assignment of units and the work needed to earn those units should ALWAYS be discussed with the parent and/or student during the planning stages, not after the fact.

When considering the number of units being earned by a student in a community college, the ES looks at the body of work first. What is being covered in the class? If it is an academic class, like biology, the student may be earning a full year’s units in one semester. If the class is a PE/weight lifting class meeting three times a week, then the student probably is not earning double units. Again, prior to assigning units, the ES, parent, and student should discuss the topic of how units will be assigned. If there is still some question about this, then the ES should ask their ES Advisor.

It is important the ES keep complete Learning Records for high school students earning Carnegie units. This is one way that documentation of verification awarding units occurs. Include on every learning record enough information to document that learning that occurred through activities that support the subject content. All high school Learning Records must list the specific name of the course in the growth area. In addition, a-g courses must list the name of the text used for the course. If appropriate, the ES may list chapters covered. All content topics and activities completed by the student must be included in a high school Learning Record, including but not limited to: graded chapter reviews and tests, research papers, and projects completed.